Call circuit recorder



Dec.- 5, 1939. v F, G, HALLDEN I 2,182,339

CALL CIRCUIT RECORDER Filed May 25, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR file ' ATTORNEY CALL CIRCUIT RECORDER Filed May 25, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 5, 1939. F. G. HALLEIJEN CALL CIRCUIT RECORDER Filed May 25, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W MMM ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALL CIRCUIT RECORDER Application May 25, 1935, Serial No. 23,408

11 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in call circuit registers, and particularly registers operable by telegraph call boxes provided on a call circuit loo-p.

The objects of the present invention are; to provide a small and simple call circuit register capable of handling calls originating on a plurality of circuits, one that may be readily assembled and taken apart, and one which by a simple switching operation may be adapted to register calls from a closed or from an open or grounded call circuit.

With this object in view a plurality of means, such as cams, constantly tend to operate. Each means is blocked by a magnet connected with the call circuit and is permitted to operate and cause the register proper to operate.

The means, such as cams, are provided in pairs, and the circuit is so arranged that normally only the magnet controlling one cam can be operated by the breaking and making of the call circuit loop. Should a break or accidental ground 006111 on the line, a switch is thrown by the attendant and the magnet of one cam is connected with one branch of the line and the magnet controlling the other cam of the pair with the other branch. The operation of a call box on either branch will cause registration.

The printing mechanism is common to the normal and emergency equipment of a plurality of lines and the feeding of the tape is automatically controlled in response to the operations of any one of the magnets associated with the normal or the emergency equipments.

. These and other features of the invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of two embodiments thereof and the appended claims. Obviously, many of the details may be varied and modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevation of the call register with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view partly in section and with the tape supply removed;

Fig. 3 is an end view;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the cam, printand pull-bar assembly;

Fig. 4a is a perspective View of the cam releasing mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram for operating the register; and

naled in brackets 3, 4 of frame 5, a tape feed roller shaft 6 in a counter-clockwise direction. The shaft 6 is journaled in the side plates of frame 5, The motor I drives also a stub shaft 7 mounted in the bracket 4 and projecting within frame 5. The stub shaft carries within frame 5 a gear 8 which, through the agency of gears 9 and 9a, drives in a counter-clockwise direction cam shafts l0 and 10a journaled within the end plates of frame 5 parallel one another. Shaft I0 carries loosely mounted thereon two cams only one, I I, of which is shown in Fig. l. Corresponding cams, see Ha in Fig. l, are provided on shaft lfla. Each of the cams is mounted between two friction washers such as 13a, Ma, shown in connection with cam Ila, which in turn are mounted between two collars I5a and Mia driven by the cam, shafts. One of the collars Ilia is fixed to the shaft and is rotatable therewith and the other one, l5a, is driven by the cam shaft through a pin I'la engaging a key slot in thecollar I5a. A coiled spring l8a is tensioned between a collar 19a fastened to the base of the cam shaft and between the collar I5a and tends to move the latter axially with respect to the shaft so as to secure firm frictional drive for the associated cam Ha. Similar arrangements are provided for the other three cams. Normally, only cam l I and its associated magnet 20 mounted within the frame will be in operation.

The cam II would tend, therefore, to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, but will be blocked by the upturned end 2| of an escapement lever engaging a cam lobe. The other end 22 of the escapement lever partly encircles the head 23 of armature 24 of magnet 20. The armature 24 is pivoted at 25 and is biased by spring 26. While held. attracted by the magnet against an adjustable stop 27, the head 23 will engage the lever 22, and since the latter is pivoted at 28, the cam II will be held against rotation.

When a call is sent from any call box connected in series with a loop circuit 29 (Fig. 5) by interrupting the loop in accordance with a code which identifies the calling station, the normally and the armature retracted by spring 25.

its end 34 is in the path of the lobe of cam II. This is shown in Fig. 1 in connection with cam lid and its associated lever 39a. The end of lever at is also bent at right angles, but in front of armature to be engaged by the head 23 of the armature when magnet 25 is deenergized The cam ll is driven from the position in which it is blocked by lever 2! into the position in which it is blocked by lever through the agency of friction discs held between collars l5 and it which constantly tend to rotate it.

Upon each closure of loop circuit 29 following an interruption, the magnet 29 will again attract its armature 24, whereupon escapement lever 9! is released by head 23 and escapement lever 22, which by a spring (not shown) has returned to the position shown in Fig. l is again locked by 23. As soon as lever M is freed by head 23, the cam H bearing on 35 will rotate it on. pivot 32 against the tension of spring The cam l i will rotate until its next lobe is arrested by projection 2! on lever 22. As soon as the cam lobe clears projection-39, the lever Si is restored by spring During part of this rotation of cam l l the lobe 35 of the cam, which is diametrically opposite to the one shown as arrested by lever 28, will engage a notch 36 in a pull-bar 97 slidably mounted in the frame 5 above the cam and restrained by a spring 38. The pull-bar 3'! is guided by bracket 39a to move horizontally and as it is moved by cam lobe 35 from right to left, its cam surface 39 engages a lip ill on a print lever M. The print lever M is pivoted to a bracket 55 at 46 and this hinge is tensioned by a spring Al. The bracket 45 is fastened to a wall 45a provided with slots through which pass pull-bars 3'5 and 31a (Fig. 2). Consequently, when the print lever 4! is thrown upward by pull-bar 3?, spring il will tend to dampen out any vibrations to which the lever will be subjected. As the lever 4! moves up a type pallet 58 carried by the end of the lever strikes a paper tape 55 drawn from a supply 5i against an inking ribbon 49. It will be clear that the lever Ma may be similarly operated by a pull-bar 31a which is controlled by the cam adjacent to cam II. It will also be clear that pull-rod 3'! may be operated by the lobes of cam Ila corresponding to cam M which cooperates with a notch 36:: cut in th pull-rod.

As the print lever M is thrown up and the type pallet 48 strikes, a lever 42 pivoted thereto at 43 will also rotate against the tension of spring 44 and strike a spiral spring 52a, producing an audible sound. The attendant can usually determine from the code sound on gong 520. who the calling party is.

The tape 58 is fed from the supply spool 5| mounted on a standard 5la on top of frame 5 to a tape feed roller 52 frictionally driven by shaft 5 through friction washers like the ones shown in Fig. 2 in connection with the pull-rod driving cams. The tape feed roller 52 and the friction washers are mounted between collars 52a and 52b. Collar 52a is fastened to the shaft 6 while collar 52b is free to slide on shaft 6 and is pressed against roller 52 by a spring 52d resting against a collar 52c fastened to the shaft. A roller 53 rotatably mounted in a bracket 54 on top of frame 5 bears against roller 52. The bracket 54 is pivotally mounted at 55 on top of frame 5 and is pressed by spring 55 so that the roller 53 presses tape 58 against the roller 52. The roller 52 is provided with two diametrically opposite pins 51.

I 25 and 23a.

The roller 52 is normally held against rotation by an arm 58 of a C-shaped lever 59 pivoted on a pin 59a in brackets 59?) and 590 (Fig. 3) :and having a second arm 60 (Fig. 1).

A spring 6! is tensioned between the end of arm 90 and an ear 62 of a latch 63 pivoted at 64 in bracket 59?) below pin 59a. When the pull-bar 31 is driven forward by cam I i, it will strike one leg 65 of thee-shaped lever 59, causing said lever to rock onits pivot 59a in a counter-clockwise direction, whereby the arm 58 will free the pin 51 and permit roller 52 to rotate with shaft 6 in a counter-clockwise direction to feed the tape 50. Similarly, when the other pull-bar 31a strikes the other leg of lever 59 (see Fig. 3), the latter will rock to free roller 52.

The latch 63 holds lever 59 in the rocked position. Lever 59 will be locked until the pin 51, which has just been released, engages a cam face 56 of an extension 5i on said latch 53, releasing the lever 59 so that when the diametrically opposite pin 57 arrives in position, the further rotation of the roller 52 will be arrested by arm 58. The tape-contacting surfaces of rollers 52 and 53 are preferably knurled so as to insure against slipping of the tape. If the escapement lever 59 is tripped again by the operation of a pull-bar before the second pin 5'! reaches the stop position, then the roller 52 will continue to rotate. If a pull-bar is operated before the second pin 5! is stopped by arm 53 then the arm will be hatched out of its stopping position and the roller 52 will continue to rotate another half revolution. The ribbon 49 is fed from one spool to another and the usual ribbon feed and ribbon reverse mechanism are provided, the details of which are not illustrated in the drawings.

One tape feed roller 52 and its escapement control is, as will be clear from Figs. 2 and 3, common to two lines. However, more than two lines may use the same tape and control the same tape roller 52 by increasing the width of the escapement lever 59 so that additional pull-bars may strike it. The print bars 4! would, of course, be extended also to print on the proper location on the tape and the pallets 48 will, for identification, show numbers corresponding to the lines with which they are associated.

Each line requires one pair of friction driven cams like H and Ma, and a pair of magnets like Each pair of magnets is mounted on a common bracket H held in place on base plate '12 of frame 5 by a sore-w l3 and a spring 14, whereby such magnet units may be readily removed and added. The friction cam shafts l0 and Ella may also be readily removed by taking ofi end plates l5 and EM from the framework and withdrawing the entire shaft assembly. Obviously, friction cam assemblies may be added as needed. The unit construction permits equipping the register with the proper number of units for any particular installation and adding units as needed.

The electrical connections to the units are made on a screw terminal block 16, each call register unit being equipped with two magnets 20 and 20a, one (20) for normal use and one (2011) to be switched in when a break or accidental ground occurs in the call circuit loop.

Ordinarily, only one magnet 20 and one friction driven cam H are in operation. If any trouble occurs on the line circuit 29 (Fig. 5), a key is thrown. In the normal position of key 80, grounded battery 8! is connected over resistance 82, winding of magnet 20a, the line loop 29, the winding of magnet 20, and contact I) of key 80, to ground. The magnet 20 is energized. However, the magnet 20a cannot become energized owing to the existence of a shunt around its winding by contact at of key 80. When the key is actuated, grounded battery is connected to one branch of line 29 over resistance 82 and magnet 20a and also to the other branch over resistance 83, contact a of key 80 and the winding of magnet 20. Grounding of one or the other of the branches of the line loop 29 will therefore operate one of these two magnets and calls can be received. When the line 29 is broken or becomes grounded, the magnet 20 becomes deenergized and closes a circuit for a lamp 84 which will indicate to the attendant that he should throw the key 80.

It should be noted that the key 80 has only a normal and a trouble position instead of the usual normal, open, ground, ground and open, or open and grounded, positions. This simplicity of the switching arrangement is primarily due to. the fact that in accordance with the present invention, the printing is a transient function and is performed only once upon each closure of the line circuit. It is immaterial, therefore, whether the line circuit is normally closed, is opened and closed again, once for each digit of the code of a call box initiating the call, or whether the line circuit is opened and closed by grounding, once for each digit of the code of the call box.

The magnet 20 is directly in the line circuit. This is permissible, since this magnet functions only to block or to release the escapement levers 22 and 3|. These functions are very light and require only slight pressures exerted by the magnet armature 24 comparable to those necessary for operating ordinary relay contacts. It is, of course, required for this purpose that the core gap, armature travel and armature spring tension be properly adjusted, which can be readily effected by the adjustable front and back stops 21 and 30, and by the adjustable attachment plate to which the end of spring 28 is fastened and the position of which may be varied by loosening screw 86. When properly adjusted, the magnet will respond to small changes in line current which is necessary in systems of this type in which line leakage is a common occurrence.

An alternate arrangement of the register is schematically illustrated in Fig. 6. In this figure the tape I00 is fed from a drum IOI to a tape feed roller I 02. A solenoid I03 connected in the line circuit in lieu of magnet 20 is normally energized and holds its plunger I04 in the position shown. When the line circuit is opened and closed again, the plunger I04 will be released and operated again. When releasing, the plunger drops on a spring I05 which through contact I2I closes the circuit of lamp 84. When it is attracted again by the magnet I03, it will overthrow and strike with printing pallet I05 carried by it against tape I00, pressing it against printing pad or ribbon I01 on table I08, making an imprint on the tape I00.

The movement of armature I04 will actuate also end I09 of a lever IIO pivoted at I I I, rotating lever III! in a counterclockwise direction. An arm H2 of lever I I0 is moved down out of the path of a pin II3 projecting from roller I02, permitting the rotation of roller I02 on a shaft II4 under the control of any suitable friction drive. The tape I00 is pressed against roller I02 and its advance is thus assured by contact with a pressure roller II 5.

The counterclockwise rotation of arm IIO permits latch II8 pivoted at H9 to lock arm II2 of lever H0 in its down position until the pin II3 strikes the cam surface IQ of the latch and restores it, together with the arm IIO, into the position shown. The roller I02 will continue its rotation until the diametrically opposite pin I20 strikes the arm II2.

It will be noted that this tape feed arrangement functions in substantially the same manner as the one described in connection with the previous figures. This arrangement is suitable where the difference between the values of the open and closed circuit line currents is great enough satisfactorily to operate the solenoid I03 or other types of magnets arranged to deliver a hard enough blow to cause an imprint on the tape.

The two embodiments herein disclosed perform all the functions of the usual call circuit switchboard used with call circuit registers although no separate relays, switching keys, etc., are employed to take care of the operation of the system under normal as well as abnormal loop circuit conditions. The magnet which directly controls the positioning is in the loop circuit without any intermediate relays, and a single two position key takes care of all switching to compensate for line faults.

What I claim is:

1. In a circuit recorder, a single imprinting means, means including a plurality of wheels having projections for actuating said imprinting means, a constantly driven shaft, means including frictional couplings connecting said shaft with said wheels, two double armed esca-pement levers adjacent each wheel, said levers being pivoted adjacent one another so that one of their arms is normally positioned in the path of the projections on the associated Wheel, a spring for holding one of said two levers in the normal position, a plurality of circuit-operated magnets, one for each pair of levers, and an armature for each magnet for holding said one of the associated levers in the normal position in the deenergized and the other lever in its normal position in the energized condition of the magnet.

2. In a circuit recorder, a single imprinting means, means including two wheels having projections for actuating the imprinting means, two constantly driven shafts, frictional coupling means between said shafts and said wheels, two double-armed escapement levers for each wheel pivoted adjacent one another so that one arm of each lever is normally in the path of the projections on the associated wheel, two electromagnets in the circuit, one associated with each pair of levers, and an armature for each magnet for preventing movement of said one of the associated levers from the normal position when said magnet is deenergized and for preventing movement of the other lever from the normal position when said magnet is in the energized condition.

3. In a recording mechanism, a bracket carrying an upwardly projecting type pallet, a springtensioned pivotal mounting for said bracket, a plurality of spring-tensioned pull-bars below said bracket, each having a cam face cooperating with the bracket and also a notch, a plurality of cams each having lobes cooperating with the notch of a pull-bar, and means for operating each cam in accordance with signals to be recorded to engage the notch in the associated pull-bar to move the latter against the spring tension and with its cam face into engagement with the bracket.

4. In a recording mechanism, a bracket carrying an upwardly projecting type pallet, a springtensioned pivotal mounting for said bracket, two pull-bars below said bracket, each having a cam face and two notches, a plurality of cams each having lobes cooperating with a pull-bar notch, and means for operating each cam in accordance with signals to be recorded to engage the corre sponding notch in the associated pull-bar to move the latter with its cam face into engagement with the bracket.

5. In a recording mechanism, a bracket carrying upwardly projecting type pallets and having two downwardly projecting lips, a spring tensioned pivotal mounting for said bracket, two spri-ng-tensioned pull-bars below said bracket, each having a cam face cooperating with a lip and also having two notches, a plurality of cams each having lobes cooperating with a pull-bar notch, and means for operating each cam in accordance with signals to be recorded to engage the corresponding notch in the associated pull bar and to move the latter against the spring tension and with its cam face into engagement with the cooperating lip on the bracket.

6. In asignal circuit recorder,means for imprinting signal indications on a tape, a tape feed roller, a constantly rotating shaft therefor, a friction coupling between said roller and its shaft, a lever normally blocking the rotation of said roller, means operative upon the actuation of said imprinting means for actuating said lever to free said tape feed roller to rotate a predetermined angle, and means for continuing the rotation of said roller if said imprinting means is operated during the rotation of the roller.

7. In a signal recorder, means for im rinting signal indicators on a tape, a tape feed roller, a constantly rotating shaft therefor, a friction coupling between said roller and its shaft, a lever normally blocking the rotation of said roller, a plurality of separate means for actuating said means for imprinting, and means operative upon the actuation of any one of said plurality of means for actuating said lever to free the tape feed roller to rotate a predetermined angle.

8. In a recording mechanism, a tape feed roller, a friction drive for said roller, a plurality of pins projecting from said roller, a pivoted lever having an arm normally in the path of said pins, means actuated upon each operation of the recording mechanism for rocking said lever to remove said arm from the path of said pins, means for latching said lever in its rocked position, and means actuated by the pin last released by said arm for actuating the latching means to initiate restoration of said lever to its normal position.

9. In a recording mechanism, a pair of shafts, means for constantly rotating said shafts, a plurality of cams carried by said shafts, friction coupling means between each cam. and its associated shaft, a magnet having an armature normally blocking each cam, a tape feed roller having two diametrically opposed projections, a constantly rotating shaft therefor, a friction coupling between said roller and its shaft, a lever normally in the path of said projections blocking the rotation of said roller, means operative upon the actuation of any one of said magnets to free its associated cam to rotate through a predetermined angle, means responsive to the rotation of any cam to print on the tape, means operative thereupon for actuating said lever to move out of the path. of the projections on said tape feed roller, a movable latch for holding said lever in its actuated position, and a cam surface on said latch moved into the path of said projections when said lever is actuated.

10. In a recording mechanism, imprinting means, means including a wheel having projections for actuating the imprinting means, a constantly driven shaft, frictional coupling means between said shaft and said wheel, two double armed escapement levers so pivoted that one arm of each of said levers in the path of said projections, an electro-magnet, an armature for said magnet for preventing movement of one of said levers from the path of said projections when the electro-magnet is energized and for preventing movement of the other or said levers from the path of said projections when the electro-magnet is deenergized.

11. In a recorder, a single imprinting means, means for actuating the imprinting means, constantly operating means, means frictionally coupling said constantly operating means with said imprinting means, an escapement mechanism normally blocking the operation of said means for actuating the imprinting means, and a magnet responsive to signals for controlling said escapeinent mechanism.

FREDERICK G. HALLDEN. 

